The present invention relates to a method for facilitating the dispensing of viscous liquids such as tooth pastes, ointments, creams, glues, greases, sealants, caulking compounds and the like, from collapsible and deformable tubes and containers. More specifically, the disclosed method is a simple and almost effortless method of maintaining the folds in the empty portion of a collapsible tube or container so that all of the contents remain in proximal contact with the opening of the tube and only the same minimal effort need be made to dispense the contents from a nearly empty tube as from a newly opened tube.
Difficulty in dispensing viscous products from flexible tubes is common in both household and commercial settings and applications. Flexible metal tubes, commonly used in the past, exhibited annoying roll-up and dispensing problems. More recently, plastic laminate tubes, extruded tubes and molded tubes have added significantly to the prevailing difficulty of achieving complete extraction of contents: These newer tubes have little or no xe2x80x9cmemoryxe2x80x9d or the ability to retain a rolled-up or folded position making it difficult and messy to dispense the contents as the product is used from the tube. With the contents somewhat uniformly dispersed throughout a partially-full tube, there is little or no control of either the amount dispensed or the steadiness and uniformity of the rate of dispensing. And while others, infra, have addressed these issues and problems with various methods and devices for facilitating the extraction of viscous liquids from a collapsible tube, there remains a need for a simpler, more inexpensive method for addressing the aforementioned problems.
References to such methods and devices are legion in the patent art. A few of the most relevant patent documents include U.S. Des. Pat. No. 351,961 to Bergamo dated Nov. 1, 1994 for a U-shaped tube clip. U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,221 dated Aug. 27, 1996 to Conlee for what is called an xe2x80x9cend-lap retainerxe2x80x9d which is a clip with a particular configuration designed to fit snugly over the lapped end of a collapsible tube and thereby facilitate the extraction of nearly all of the contents of said tube. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,139 illustrates and claims a method of retaining a rolled-up configuration for the empty portion of a collapsible tube container with a uniquely constructed U-shaped clip. And most recently, U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,967 dated Jul. 13, 1999 to Souza discloses a squeezing device for a collapsible tube that combines squeezing plates with a coiled portion to accommodate and store the empty and depleted portion of the collapsible tube.
Notwithstanding the cleverness, ingenuity and functionality of the methods and devices presented in the prior art, the method of the present disclosure performs almost all of the functions characterized as desirable in the teachings of those references with a method that is unparalleled in its simplicity and effectiveness. The disclosed method is completely effective, unobtrusive and almost without expense.
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple method and apparatus for use with collapsible, fold-up tubes to facilitate the effective, uniform and near total extraction of the contents from said tubes.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method employing an apparatus that is readily obtainable, inexpensive and simple enough for any child to use.
It is a further object of the disclosed invention to provide a method and apparatus that takes up essentially no space beyond that of the tube itself and therefore provides no hindrance or excuse against use or storage. When used as intended, the disclosed apparatus can be employed and stored with the tube on any counter-top, in any drawer, in any travel kit or in any tool box. In other words, the disclosed apparatus can be used and stored unobtrusively with the tube.
It will also be appreciated that the disclosed method and apparatus, when used as directed, will provide a means of controlling and effecting a continuous, uniform rate of dispensing for the entire contents of the tube because the un-used portion of the contents is kept near the opening of the tube by the presence of the empty, folded and secured portion of the tube. It will be appreciated that the emptied portion of the tube is first flattened and then progressively and sequentially folded over on itselfxe2x80x94not rolled up, advancing in several sequential folds, toward the neck of the tube and its opening. These sequential folds are then retained in the folded position by deployment of the disclosed apparatus: an elastic band.
Dispensing from a xe2x80x9cfullxe2x80x9d remaining portion provides control of the tube so that dispensing from the tube can be immediately started or stopped by modest finger pressure on the folded portion of the tube, said pressure being transmitted to the filled portion of the tube. Considering the criticality of dispensing a uniform bead of caulking compound, for example, and for other products as well, uniformity in size and amount of the dispensed bead is highly desired and can be best controlled only by dispensing from the portion of the tube that is still filled to repletion and firm to the touch.
Elaborating somewhat: pressure on the filled portion of the tube is significantly leveraged by pressing the finger on the restrained folds, allowing the full surface area created by the folds to exert and enhance the pressure and the control of dispensing, Because of the large rectangular surface area presented by the folds, finger force applied to the folded area provides a mechanically leveraged pressure applied to the filled portion of the tube. This is an important aspect to the method of dispensing disclosed herein.
The foregoing objects of the disclosed invention can be succinctly characterized as follows: This invention relates to a method of dispensing the viscous liquid contents of a flexible tube, having an open end and a crimped end, said method comprising: dispensing the contents of said tube to create a depleted portion of said tube; applying finger pressure to the crimped end of said tube to urge contents from said crimped end to the depleted portion of said tube causing said crimped end to become the depleted portion of said tube; folding the depleted crimped end of said tube upon itself and securing this folded portion of said tube with an elastic band stretched to encompass said folded portion; and continuing to dispense the contents of said tube, folding the depleted portion upon itself and securing said folded portions by encircling with said elastic band until the contents of said tube have been dispensed.